I had a bunch of bees crawl up between my t-shirt, and my outershirt last Friday evening. They stopped at the bandana around my neck, and 5-6 proceded to sting me in the throat. I crushed them in my hand, and ran to the kitchen where my wife tried to wipe the others that were up my shirt off before they got me. I couldin't lift my head off of the pillow that night. I also got stung in the hand, and it looked like a blown up sergical glove. I was so mad at that hive of bees I almost broke out a can of raid! My fault though I did not wear the clothing combo that I usually do, and I didn't bother putting a belt on.

I was stung 27 times by yellow jackets once and then a few years later I was stung another 9 or 10 times by a different yellow jacket nest. I've had honey bees for almost 4 years now and have only been stung a combined total of 7 times, one of which was on the face. I don't seem to have too much of a reaction to the stings and don't remember the yellow jackets being all that bad either. I kind of think the yellow jackets are cute, they don't bother me at all.

One of the commercial beeks I help on occasion just recovered from a single sting on the very end of a very private place. He said he dropped his pants in the bee yard because that stinger had to come out right then even if he received another sting in the process. He said the swelling was minimal but it was still sore two weeks later...... OUCH!

Hi-Tech- Thanks for helping me with a decision. I have been undecided as to whether to get a full length protective suit or just a jacket. After reading your post I ordered the full suit.

I got my first 2 stings this morning peaking in a hive before I went to work. I was surprised I hardly knew I was stung. The one on my neck was hardly visible while the one on my forearm is swollen pretty good and is tender to the touch.

Terry-Newbee

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It is the first responsibilty of every citizen to question authority.-Ben Franklin

Beeing new at this I was cocky when I didn't swell the first few times. Then I got stung on the middle of the forehead, if I was a devote hindu, I might have taken it as a good omen...it didn't swell for about ten hours but I felt woozy. I woke the next day to my fiance laughing at me. My eyes were swollen like a husky malamute dog...It didn't go down for three days. Positively the worst.

My hubby got his first stings day before yesterday. He was grabbing the boardman feeder for a refill on the newest hive (the swarm) and got jumped. He was only wearing shorts so 2 of them nailed him. I was surprised since we are constantly around the hives and have never been stung. They are all very tolerant of us puttering around. I guess they took offence to him taking their feeder even if it was empty. He put on his suit and got it so I could give it a refill. He said he hadn't been stung by a bee since he was a kid. He's been stung by Yellow Jackets many times over the years, but no bees. It didn't swell at all and really didn't bother him. The Yellow Jacket stings were bad though. He swelled like a balloon and it hurt for hours each time. Nasty buggers. I can't stand them.

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Yesterday my husband and I did a removal at a construction site. The bees were in the outside wall of a 2 story La Salsa Restaurant being built. We had to climb 4 stories of scaffolding to get to them. As soon as we got there my husband got a brutal sting on the upper lip. We put on the jackets quick! The removal was fun, this was the first time we tried tying the brood comb into empty frames, and I think it went well! As I was taking off my jacket, a hitchhiker stung me on the forearm. This is our first year and we've only been stung 10-20 times, but today we're swollen. I thought my husband's lip was gonna split, but it's doing okay now. With his lip and my forearm we look like Daffy Duck and Popeye.Too bad she didn't sting me in the bicep

i have been very fortunate not to be stung by my bees yet. each year i am treated to one or two yellow jacket or wasp stings. i almost look forward to the much milder bee sting! :)

one recommendation: even though none of us probably have had severe reactions, and the experienced keepers probably have developed some resistance to the stings, a bad reaction can come out of the blue for all of us. especially with multiple stings.

benadryl is a handy thing to have around. i buy the childrens liquid as well as the tablets. the liquid tastes like hell, but works faster. liquid is 25 mg per tsp. at the first sign of any reaction outside your norm, take 50 mg and if you do not have improvement within 1/2 an hour, take another 50. if symptoms are getting much worse within that 1/2 hour take the second 50 mg sooner. if things are not better with 100 mg, i'd get some medical advice. any respiratory symptoms require immediate medical attention.

any airway sting should be treated regardless of your normal reaction. it does not take much swelling to close an airway.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I took a friend on a removal with me today. he wore my suit and i wore a jacket veil. We used a bee vac and all went well until we dumped the bees from the vac to a hive. Those bees were very upset! My friend took one sting in the hand through his glove. I took 6 or 8 stings through my jeans and 3 in the right arm through the jacket! No bad swelling but one place on the inside of my arm is sore. this was my first multiple sting session....

When one of the little bees gets in under your viel,all you can do is cringe and hope for the best. Sometimes they won't sting sometimes they do,usually near my mouth or nose. One thing I am very conscious of is wet clothing, you might as well have nothing on, they can sting right through the wet cloth. Beemaster says it best though, when he said he would take a hundred bees sting to one sting from a yellow jacket. I for one HATE yellow jackets even if they do have a purpose in life--death to all those nasty,mean,foul tempered,honey robbing,picnic spoiling,kid chasing so and so's that give our gentle honey bee a bad rap. :x

Being a rather rotund fellow, I can say that bee stings to the stomach area don't affect me at all. A quck pin prick and that's it. Anywhere else on my body and I'll get a little swelling.

Just took about 40+ stings all over my face and neck about 2 hours ago. I was just taking a "peek" in my topmost super on one of my hives (no veil or suit of course) and they nailed me instantly. No idea what got into them but they were really angry off. I have never attempted an evening inspection before and have always been warned against it. I guess the old timers were right on that one.

As for reaction to the stings - I've never experienced much beyond the initial pain of the sting. Pretty much the same deal tonight though being really scared seemed to highten the overall unpleasantness of the experience. Then there was the indignity of the swift retreat...